Felt-like substance.



UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE.

DAVID BEATTY AND SAMUEL C. IRVING, OF BERKELEY, CALIFORNIA.

FELT-LIKE SUBSTANCE.

Specification of Letters Patent.

Patented March 31, 1908.

Application filed February 19, 190 Serial a. 301,810.

in Felt-Like Substances, of which the followv ing is a specification.

The object of the present invention is to make a felt-like roofing, sheeting, or the like, whicl'l shall be flexible, durable, cheap, and water-proof.

Our improved felt-like substance is formed as follows: We make a magnesian cellulose by immersing cotton in a stron solution of sodium hydrate in which oxid 0 magnesium in excess has been mixed; it is then allowed to stand for three days.- After that the mixture is treated with bisulfid of carbon in weight about equal to the amount of cellulose used. This is allowed to stand for some hours. The carbon bisulfid is used to make the soda cellulose soluble in water. The carbon bisulfid in combining with the soda cellulose forms a sulfocarbonate of cellulose together with sodium carbonate and thiocarbonic acid. With this substance, which is in a pasty form, we mix magnesium chlorid in quantity reater than is necessary to form' sodium ch orid with the soda therein. The excess of magnesium chlorid forms, with the oxid of magnesium originally mixed with the sodium hydrate, di-magnesic oxy-dichlorid, and magnesium viscose and some soluble salts, which are afterwards removed, while the carbon dioxid combined with the sodium, and the thiocarbonic acid appear to decompose the carbon bisulfid. After this we add as much resin varnish as is needed, about 25% to 50% of the cellulose, dissolved 1n gasolene, and incorporate it with the other ingredients, The varnish is used to render it more waterproof, and prevent too rapid decompositlon. As compared with turpentine, used for a similar purpose, it is very much cheaper, and a less quantity is required. The turpentme is toovolatile, and, on evaporating, leaves scarcely a trace of resinous matter. The resin renders the resulting product more solid, durable, and tenacious. Instead of resin, one can here use other resinous, oily, greasy, or ummy substances, such as gutta percha, asp altum, castor' oil, rape Oll, stearic acid, etc. The product is then pressed mto the form of sheets and allowed to partly dry, and, when in sheet form, is washed in dilute acid and then in pure water.

We claim '1. A roofing felt containing magnesian cellulose and a resin, substantially as described.

2. The process of making a felt roofing which consists in treating a ma esian cellulose with bisulfid of carbon an ma esium chlorid, afterwards incorporating aso ution of a resin, and then forming the resulting product into sheets, substantially as described.

In witness whereof we have hereunto set our hands in the presence of two subscribing Witnesses.

DAVID BEATTY. S. O. IRVING.

Witnesses ANNIE PETERSON, BESSIE GORFINKEL. 

